The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 443

Sophia looked up and caught Brandon spacing out while staring at her. She couldn't help but flash him a grin, "What is it?"

Brandon chuckled and shook his head, "Nothing."

But his gaze didn't wander away from her; he just quietly observed her.

It was a strange thing, really. Most of the time, Sophia was just Sophia, plain old Sophia. He didn't even think about Yolanda, nearly forgot the name.

But whenever Yolanda came into the picture, his gut reaction was to protect Sophia from taking the blame.

Brandon wasn't eager to dig into the why's or face another so-called DNA test result. It just didn't matter anymore.

"Where'd you wander off to just now?" Brandon asked, changing the subject.

"Just strolling around." Sophia murmured, then looked at him and decided to spill the beans, "I accidentally passed by the hospital where your dad's staying. Hung around downstairs for a bit. I thought about checking in on him but figured it might not be cool, you know, might mess with his recovery or something."

"He's doing fine. You don't have to worry about him," Brandon said.

Sophia nodded slightly, stirring her soup in front of her, and then asked softly, "Being stuck in the middle like this gotta suck, right?"

Brandon paused abruptly, his eyes on her. Sophia didn't look up, but her soup-stirring slowed to a stop.

"I've pieced it together." She said softly, "Your dad's current situation is kinda on me, at least partially."

She looked up at Brandon, "If he can't stand me, he can't stand me. Sometimes it's just about clicking with someone, and if it's not there, it's not. No use forcing it. Don't waste your energy."

Brandon's voice was firm, each word weighted, his tone growing colder.

"What more can be done, huh?" Sophia asked, looking at him, "Haven't you done enough? Every time you make an effort, your dad ends up in the ER. Keep it up, and what? He won't be around anymore. Isn't it killing you, being caught in the middle?

Plus, I've got a bunch of dead weights around me, and I can't keep them in line. Even if I cut ties with my family, that won't stop them from hassling your dad." Sophia's voice faltered, she glanced at him, "They bother him once, and he's back in the emergency room."

Sophia couldn't go on; it was just a heap of messes, not a single one bringing peace of mind. And all these issues stemmed simply from her being with Brandon. So, might as well nip it in the bud.

Broke it off clean, and everyone got some peace.

"I can't control my dad's health." Brandon admitted, looking at her, "If something were to happen to him, I'd be sad, of course, but I wouldn't blame myself or point fingers at us. It's his own doing, not something we forced on him. And I don't want you carrying that weight either."